Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine jumped on the back of Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling inside the 10-yard line for what should have been a crucial pass interference penalty late in the Packers’ win on Sunday night. But no flag was thrown.
Referee Brad Allen said after the game that the officials didn’t see the kind of restriction of Valdes-Scantling’s movement that they would need to throw a flag.
“As you may know, on ever play where there may or may not be pass interference, either offensive or defensive, the covering official has to rule whether contact materially restricts the receiver,” Allen told pool reporter Calvin Watkins. “And in this case, the covering officials were in good position and ruled that there was no material restriction that rose to the level of defensive pass interference.”
But while the officials may not have seen it, there absolutely was contact that materially restricted Valdes-Scantling’s ability to catch the pass from Patrick Mahomes. It was a blown call on a play that would have given the Chiefs first-and-goal and a good chance to force overtime. Instead, the Packers won a game that has Chiefs fans wondering what the officials were watching.
